May 23, 2016 – Kansas City, MO – William D. Carter, general manager of The Raphael Hotel, was recently presented the “Autograph Collection Hotel of the Year” award by Marriott International at the company’s annual recognition celebration in Bethesda, Maryland. The award recognizes top performing hotels in each brand. The Raphael vied for the accolade with 63 distinctive Autograph Collection of the Americas properties, six Gaylord luxury resorts and two exclusive EDITION hotels. “It is an honor to be selected from such a distinguished field of nationally acclaimed luxury hotels and resorts,” said Carter. “It is quite a tribute to our dedicated team of hospitality professionals.” ​

It was a historic win for Kansas City’s landmark Country Club Plaza hotel, as it became the first Autograph Collection property to win the award more than once. The Raphael first earned the accolade in 2013. Award criteria include operational performance, guest service scores, and demonstrable examples of innovative leadership, new initiatives, and responsiveness to challenges. The Autograph Collection is a portfolio of independent hotels selected by Marriott International for their distinctiveness.​About The Raphael Hotel: Readers of Travel+Leisure magazine voted The Raphael to the prestigious 2015 T+L 500 World’s Best Hotels list. The Raphael is the original boutique concept among historic Kansas City Plaza hotels. The nine-story, Italian Renaissance Revival structure is a member of National Trust Historic Hotels of America and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. TripAdvisor reviewers named The Raphael to its Hall of Fame following five consecutive years of being ranked as Kansas City’s top hotel.